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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28732659">the problem with the big picture</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledewdrops/pseuds/littledewdrops'>littledewdrops</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>now you see [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Victorious (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Behind the Scenes, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Outsider's Perspective, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, the problem with the big picture is that it's hard to see</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:36:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,863</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28732659</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledewdrops/pseuds/littledewdrops</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p><em>the problem with the big picture is that it's hard to see, but there were those who definitely knew that they were nothing like “the worst couple” that they were made to be </em>// beck &amp; jade's relationship through their friends’ perspectives</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>(slight) Robbie Shapiro/Cat Valentine, Andre Harris &amp; Beck Oliver, Beck Oliver/Jade West, Cat Valentine &amp; Jade West</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>now you see [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2106261</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>58</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. of coffee and rottweiler incidents</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>the title is inspired by a song by mayday parade. each chapter features a character and how they see beck and jade's relationship (timelines in each chapter intertwine). this may also serve as a companion fic to my other work <em>"<a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28150440/chapters/68975274">it's more than a can of lemonade</a>"</em></p><p> <br/><em>this chapter is set within the following episodes:</em> pilot (1x01), jade dumps beck (1x05), prom wrecker (2x05), locked up (2x06), tori goes platinum (3x10 &amp; 3x11), opposite date (4x03)<br/><em>disclaimer: victorious &amp; its characters belong to its respective owner.</em></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em>as seen through tori vega</em>
</p><hr/><p> </p><p>         Tori Vega entered the picture a lot later than everyone else did. She was the beginning of a storm, the one who stirred the calm that existed before she entered Hollywood Arts. When Tori Vega entered the pictured, the social hierarchy immediately shifted. She took the school by storm, not only through her performance but also with her talent. Everyone liked the sweet and nice half-Latina, the girl who was almost bathed in sunlight. She always strived for the best, always searched for perfection. What Tori Vega wanted, she always got. Her determination was not to be taken lightly, because she gave nearly everything her all no matter what the consequence. That's why, more than anything else, she hated it when she didn't have a good grasp on something.</p><p>And for her, it seemed like Beck and Jade's relationship was one thing that she could never understand.</p><p> </p><p>         <strong><em>Tori Vega's first impression of Beck and Jade was nothing impressive</em></strong>. In fact, she couldn't understand why a boy as charming as Beck Oliver would settle for a girl like Jade West, who seemed like an incarnation of evil.</p><p>Being the new girl, she was awestruck the first moment she laid her eyes on Beck. Like any other girl, she would have worshiped the ground he walked on. It was hard not to, the boy was blessed with olive skin, gorgeous raven hair and a handsome smile that many swooned over. And for the few seconds she's known him she couldn't stop gazing into his chocolate brown eyes.</p><p>Their first encounter seemed like a scene from a romance movie, an accidental meeting of how boy meets girl.</p><p>The fact that it was accidental made their encounter a tad bit similar to how Beck and Jade first met. The raven-haired boy spilled lemonade on the future girlfriend, though she gets her revenge by pouring her coffee all over him.</p><p>His meeting with Tori, on the other hand, was like a nicer take on that. The brunette apologizes for spilling coffee, determined to clean it up, only to stop as her eyes meet his as if she was in a trance. It was one of those scenes that people could immediately determine who the heroine of the movie was. It was easy to make Jade West feel threatened.</p><p>Tori Vega was everything the other girl wasn't, and it made it easy for Jade West to pin her anger on her. The girl's insecurity morphs into jealousy. After all, the half-Latina had everything Jade West didn't; be it her happy family or the easily gained approval from others. Having less than she deserved to have, Jade West was always protective of her possessions; and because she was intent on her belief that all she had was Beck Olive, there was no way in hell she was going to lose him over anyone, most especially Tori Vega. That's why she easily antagonizes Miss Cheekbones on the girl's very first day of school.</p><p> </p><p>         Tori Vega would be lying if she said that she wasn't attracted to Beck Oliver, hardly anybody wasn't. Nevertheless, she had her morals. And she never planned to steal him away from her. So, when Jade West bursts into the door and claims her property, Tori knew better than to aggravate the girl. In fact, at first, she feels scared.</p><p>But on her first day, Jade <em>did</em> humiliate her in front of the entire class, by pouring coffee on her and treating her like a dog; and what better way of revenge than to mess with the one she clearly cared for the most? The best way to go against Jade West was to get close to Beck Oliver. As Tori clung unto the humiliation and a few assuring words from her newfound friends, the girl refused to back down from the fight. So, even despite her principles, she knew better than to let the goth walk all over her.</p><p>That's why she ends up suggesting a kiss to Beck Oliver, and to her surprise, the boy played along with her plan, possibly as a way to punish his girlfriend from the way she acted. Or possibly, getting lost in the games he played, in which he often found ways to rile her up—to make her jealous; because it was the only way he could tell what his girlfriend was thinking, the only way his girlfriend showed her affection. And Beck Oliver's obvious mistake was that it was in those moments that he often blurred the lines between what was playful and hurtful. Jade West had never felt as threatened in her life.</p><p>What Tori Vega didn't know was that while the girl with icy blue orbs seemed to be nothing more than a person who took advantage of everyone around her, who expected everyone to kneel below her— in truth, she was just an insecure girl who acted brazen to protect herself; because pushing people away was the only way she knew how to protect herself. She lashes out in anger and tries to hurt others before she could get hurt.</p><p>Though, the moment Beck had kissed Tori on stage, despite how ecstatic the brunette was to be able to kiss a guy who was as hot as he was, a part of her did feel bad once she realized what happened. Because at that moment, she saw the way Jade looked at Beck, the way she inched away from him soon after. And it was easy to tell from the way guilt spread across Beck's face, the moment he laid eyes on his girlfriend. A nagging voice in her head, told her that she clearly caused a problem between them.</p><p> </p><p>         Tori Vega knew nothing about Beck and Jade. She was so caught up in trying to prove others wrong that she failed to notice the impact of her actions. People cheered them on, and it made it even harder for her to open her eyes, to see beyond the mask Jade wore. Tori had the approval she sought from others, after all, how would she know that she hurt Jade West, who antagonized her the moment she met her? How was she supposed to know that maybe the couple had an honestly good relationship, and what did she just caused a ripple between them? In the first place, Jade did just as worse to her, how would she know what went over the line?</p><p>Thus, when she finally realizes her mistake, Tori attempts to fix what she messed up, although she didn't exactly know how she was supposed to.</p><p>"B-Beck!" she runs after him as soon as class ends, while Jade had easily left as soon as the bell rang.</p><p>"Uh... yeah?" he wonders what the girl wanted to talk about, barely able to pay attention as he frantically looks at the door yearning to chase after his girlfriend.</p><p>"I just wanted to—" Tori trails on, only to be cut off by the boy.</p><p>"Tori, I really have to go. Jade is—"</p><p>"Wait." She cuts him off equally, cramming the words she wanted to tell him. "I just really wanted to say I'm sorry if I took it too far and messed up what you have"</p><p>Tori Vega truly didn't have any malicious intent. Yes, she did want to get back at Jade, but she was going to stop once Jade learned her lesson. She didn't plan to ruin their relationship nor steal another girl's boyfriend. Thus, why she wanted to apologize despite how a part of her believed that was better for Beck to get out of his toxic relationship.</p><p>"It's alright." he assures her, giving her his full attention after hearing her words. Beck knew she was trying and that her words were sincere. Besides, she wasn't the only one at fault. "I was in the wrong too. I shouldn't have done that."</p><p>"Yeah, but—" Tori attempts to explain herself, but the boy was clearly too distracted.</p><p>"<em>Look</em>, I really have to go. We're cool. I'll talk to you some other time, okay?" Beck Oliver puts a hand on her shoulder assuringly.</p><p> </p><p>         But before he walks out the classroom to run after his girlfriend, he just wanted to make sure that they were on the same page. And for Jade's piece of mind, he ends up rambling in a hurry, "Oh— and about what happened. I hope you don't take it the wrong way, but I really am serious about Jade. I didn't do <em>that</em> because—<em>you know</em>."</p><p>
  <em>He didn't do it because he felt attracted towards her. He didn't do that thinking of her. He didn't kiss her because he liked her.</em>
</p><p>For once, Beck Oliver clears up the misunderstanding instead of leading the girl on because he does think that Tori would actually make a good friend given the chance. He does know that if the girl actually grows feelings for him, it will make everything awkward and ruin the chances of that.</p><p>Perhaps if Jade West wasn't in the picture, he <em>could</em> have a thing for Tori, but he also knew that he wouldn't have it any other way. Because unlike any other girl, Jade had always been <em>different</em>. And unlike any other fleeting emotion he had, his feelings for Jade were most definitely also <em>different</em>.</p><p>Noticing how he seemed lost for words, Tori takes the cue and nods, "I know."</p><p>And right then, she couldn't help but wonder how a perfect boy like Beck Oliver ended up with someone like Jade West.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>         <strong><em>The first time Tori Vega realizes that Jade West's vulnerability is associated with Beck Oliver</em></strong>, was also the first time she saw the ever-so-tough-maiden cry. The azure-eyed girl just waltzed into her home, holding a broken kite and venting about her break up with her boyfriend, to which she impulsively caused. The image of Jade sobbing and smearing makeup all over her precious pillow, gave Tori a different impression that contrasted the other girl's dark and intimidating personality. She had never witnessed Jade this vulnerable, and she was one of the few who ever did.</p><p>Tori Vega <em>did</em> understand Jade West's perspective. It was difficult to feel comfortable with your boyfriend being so close to a gorgeous socialite like Alyssa Vaughn. The fact that Beck Oliver was so charming, made it quite easy for anyone to fall for him; and for a girlfriend, that meant it was easy to feel insecure.</p><p>For Jade, insecurity had always taken the form of jealousy, and she was most definitely never good with jealousy. It caused her the inability to hold herself together, the feeling of everything being out of control. And she always sought control of herself more than anything else.</p><p>Which was why, Tori was left to believe that their breakup was just another impulsive decision caused by the girl's pride. She honestly didn't want to get in the middle of it. In the first place, she wasn't even friends with Jade. But that didn't mean that she didn't feel bad for the girl, despite how much she insisted that she was fine. In fact, recalling how her first few days at school went, and how she felt bad about kissing the girl's boyfriend, Tori did want to make things right. Maybe, that way, Jade will like her, and they may actually become friends. No more nonsense or sabotaging each other.</p><p> </p><p>         That’s why, she went out of her way to talk to Beck, clinging onto the hope that he’s rational enough to know that his breakup was just a slip of the tongue. Although, after talking to Beck and hearing his side of the story (how Jade was made out to be a bad girlfriend), Tori was honestly conflicted. Because having dated other guys, she knew that there was no point in trying so hard for someone who didn't do so in return. It was often the cause of her breakups; how she was often <em>too much</em>— how she gave too much than she should into her previous relationships. And no matter how naive she was, Tori knew that Beck didn't deserve that. But at the same time, if Jade West had never done anything nice for him, then—</p><p>"Why did he even date her, in the first place?" the brunette asks Andre Harris, as soon as she sits on their table in the Asphalt Cafe.</p><p> </p><p>         They happened to be the only two on their table that day; with Jade was elsewhere (likely, buying the dog to get Beck back); Cat out of town, due to her quirky brother; Robbie preoccupied with Trina's one woman show; and Beck presumably spending time away from his ex-girlfriend.</p><p>"It's a long story, and it's not really mine to tell" the musician shrugs, wanting nothing to do with his friend's business, fully aware that he had no right to meddle, and not wanting to get caught up in a fight that may potentially become bigger.</p><p>"C'mon, how did Jade get Beck to date her?" Tori pries, her curiosity getting the best of her. She couldn't help but wonder if the boy only dated Jade because he felt intimidated, but at the same time, he didn't seem like he was the type to do so.</p><p>"Look, all I can say is that even though girls throw themselves at Beck all day, every day. Jade happens to be the <em>only</em> girl Beck pursued," the boy manages to correct her original impression of the couple's relationship with just a single statement.</p><p>"Wow." Tori couldn't find the right words to say, "<em>Really</em>?"</p><p>She found it hard to believe seeing as Jade was always the one who so possessive of him, who literally scared anyone who dared to even look at him.</p><p>"Yep, I thought it was crazy of him to even go after her" Andre nods, expressing how impressive she was, "<em>And</em>Jade was also the only girl who rejected his offer for coffee <em>thirty-nine times</em>. "</p><p>"How could she reject that? I mean Beck is—<em>wow</em>. He's charming!"</p><p>"Jade's different," the musician reminds her. "Maybe a crazy-and-certainly-bad kind of different. But she's absolutely <em>different</em>, and Beck digs that. I don't know her side of the story, but I don't think she goes for superficial things like his looks, in the first place."</p><p>She was reminded of her earlier conversation with Jade, about how they talked about getting Beck a Rottweiler to take her back. At the thought of the somehow scary breed of dog, Tori is reminded of the brazen (sometimes violent) blue-eyed girl. She realizes that it was no wonder Beck had a thing for Rottweilers. Although she certainly kept it to herself, knowing that if she voiced out her opinion, Jade would shred her alive.</p><p> </p><p>         "Then what's with this on and off thing?" Tori couldn't find a way to justify their relationship, though. After all, even though they loved each other, but at the end of the day, if they kept fighting and breaking it off, it was bound to end eventually. It was easy to defend a dysfunctional relationship and <em>maybe</em>, Tori thinks— maybe it was better if they weren't together.</p><p>Andre replies with a casual shrug, focusing on his lunch instead of giving her a definite answer, "It's Beck and Jade's thing. They fight, they make up. It's a cycle."</p><p>"That's a recipe for toxic. We may be young and naive, but I doubt they're <em>that</em> stupid" she expresses her belief, despite the fact that she had barely known the couple for a few months. She hadn't been there since the beginning, nor was she aware of the depth of their relationship.</p><p>It was hard to use logic on them, in the first place. They bickered too often, got back at each other, and broke it off impulsively. It was a cycle; and it seemed like a constant one at that. It was easy to make Jade seem like a bad girlfriend, but it was easy for Beck to make her feel insecure, especially with the number of girls who were after him.</p><p>But there was a handful of people that could see past that; and Andre Harris was definitely one of them.</p><p> </p><p>         "The first time they broke up, Jade initiated it too. And things were hella worse" he tells his friend despite knowing that it wasn't his story to tell. But, just in case Tori gets other weird ideas about the two, he continues, "But the next day, they were back together, and closer than ever."</p><p>"I could barely remember a time when he wasn't in love with Jade. And that's coming from me, who doesn't even know Jade <em>that</em> well," the boy adds.</p><p>Tori thinks about the type of girl Jade is, before assuring him, "I don't think anyone knows Jade that well, anyway"</p><p>"Beck does. And Lil’ Red too. Besides, I doubt she'd keep them around if she never cared, despite how cold and violent she can get." Andre corrects her. "They always say there's more to her than that, and it's really hard to see. Sometimes even I can't see it."</p><p>He did make sense. But what she heard from Beck yesterday, certainly didn't give her the impression that he was in a happy relationship with Jade. If anything, it felt like he put up with her.</p><p>"If that's the case how could he say that he's glad they broke up?" Tori couldn't help but ask, wondering if there really was more to it than that.</p><p>The boy smiles at her, knowingly, "That's the problem with the big picture. There are many things we can't see."</p><p>"They're Beck and Jade. They find each other in the end, and that's what matters, muchacha" Andre adds before motioning for her to eat her own food.</p><p>Tori Vega agrees that her friend certainly does have a point. And she’d have to know a lot more before she can learn to judge them. Although, sometimes she wonders if there was truly more to Beck and Jade than what they always saw.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>         <strong><em>The first time that Tori Vega ever witnessed the extent of Beck Oliver's anger, </em></strong>it was for Jade West’s defense. The couple may have been infamous for their endless bickering and high-tension fights but no matter how aggravated he was by his girlfriend, he never let his anger out on his friends. Jade has often been the recipient of his anger. She was the only one who can rile him up. And for all they knew, Beck only ever showed irritation when it came to her. In fact, it was more often that he sided against her, because there were simply too many times that Jade did hurt others, whether it was intentional or accidental.</p><p>That's why, Tori Vega never thought there would ever come a day, that his anger would be directed towards them.</p><p> </p><p>         It happens when he gets back to school after his trip from Canada, after that Friday when Jade got her play cancelled and was hellbent on ruining Tori's prom (the reason her production was cancelled in the first place). The azure-eyed maiden was always one to hold a grudge, and it wasn't so easy to let go of the humiliation she had to deal with while Beck was away. It was punishing enough not having him by her side, the things she had to face during Tori Vega's prom was the last thing it took to tip off the cake.</p><p>It was unlike Jade to keep her emotions bottled up, and Beck was aware of that. That's why he doesn't stop her from avoiding their friends when they got back to school that Monday. And because of that, he took it upon himself to stay by her side.</p><p>Though, it was never Tori Vega's talent to read the mood. That's why as soon as the lunch bell rings, she, alongside Cat and Andre, walks over to the couple who weren't seated in their usual table. Oblivious to how the other girl was feeling, she greets them happily, in her chirpy voice. "<em>Heeey</em>! We haven't seen you guys all day."</p><p>"Hey, dude! Why didn't you tell us you're back?" Andre joins in, being the first to take a seat across them.</p><p>But Jade wasn't taking any of their shit. She stands up as soon as the group approaches them. Sensing her attitude, Beck takes her hand to stop her from leaving so suddenly, as if to ask where she was heading. The girl refuses to look anyone else in the eye, as she tells him, "<em>Bye</em>."</p><p>"Where you going?" he asks her before letting go.</p><p>She shrugs nonchalantly before answering, "Away from all of you."</p><p>"Okay. I'll catch up in a few" Beck gives her a kiss on the cheek, as if it would calm her down. He knew where she’d be hiding, anyway. Soon after, the raven-haired girl makes her way back inside the building, as the rest of their friends with the exception of Robbie, takes a seat on the table.</p><p> </p><p>         "What's up with her?" Tori wonders, speaking in her usual tone, "I'm surprised she isn't being a complete gank today."</p><p>"Well, Beck's here now so maybe she toned it down" Andre agrees, recalling how Jade had been acting while Beck was away.</p><p>Beck keeps silent, eating his own lunch as the others converse. Cat notices, thus why she was awfully quiet for someone as bubbly as herself. Although, the atmosphere didn't stop both Andre and Tori from talking about all the fun they had at Prome. They talked about how she successfully evaded Jade's attempts in ruining the night, how she even got her back by crowning Doug the Diaper Guy as prom king, how they enjoyed singing under the rain at the end of it.</p><p>"You should've been there, Beck" Tori adds, inviting him to join into their conversation, but somehow her words come off as insensitive to him.</p><p>And right then, he could've sworn he lost it. He couldn't keep calm after hearing their laughter, after hearing how about their side of the story, after hearing about how they actually enjoyed and cheered while his girlfriend was humiliated—how they had the time of their lives while Jade was miserable.</p><p>At this he finally snaps, his first words for them coming off coldly, "Are you fucking kidding me?"</p><p>Andre and Tori look at him like a deer in the headlights, surprised to hear the often calm and unfazed Beck Oliver raise his voice. It would have been nothing new if it towards Jade when they're fighting, but it was never directed at anyone else. After all, the raven-haired boy was the calmest of the group, he was laid back and levelheaded, often mature for his age. No matter how annoyed he was at them, he never said it in such a tone.</p><p>That’s why, his two friends to look at him, taken aback as if they misheard what he said, "What?"</p><p>Cat let out a squeak, because she had an idea why the boy was fuming, but Tori and Andre remained oblivious.</p><p> </p><p>         Beck Oliver wasn't always so protective of Jade West. He knew she was perfectly capable of protecting herself. He knew that she hated depending on him, that she would never show him her weakness, that she would be fuming if he was trying to stand up for her like some damsel in distress. He knew that she would rather not have a knight in shining armor, and she only got mad when he even attempted to act like one.</p><p>But when he arrived home that weekend, he could never forget the look in her eyes— the way she lost her dauntless fire. He couldn't calm himself down when he remembers the sight of the vulnerable girl who so often held her tears back; because it was the part of Jade West that he never knew how to deal with, the part of her she always refrained to show him.</p><p>He just couldn't let his friends off the hook, because he knows how important her production was to her; he knows how often she was humiliated in public for Tori Vega's expense; he knows how often he sided against her; he knows how lonely she must've been with him away while all this shit was happening.</p><p>"I got home from Canada with my girlfriend waiting in my RV, drenched from the rain, looking so damn exhausted. And she wouldn’t even tell me what was wrong," Beck tells them, trying to make sure his words got through their conscience.</p><p>"I had to force it out of her because you wanna know what she told me? <em>'What’s new? It happens every single fucking time'</em>" he runs a hand through his hair in frustration, "And while all that shit was happening, I find out that you guys were having the time of your lives?"</p><p>Just the memory of her tired empty eyes was enough to break his heart, because even though she never admitted it to his face, Beck knew that Jade was jealous of Tori for more than one reason. Everything always fell into place for her, and it crushed him to know that the girl who used to be Hollywood Art’s prodigy was often casted as the new girl’s understudy. The more roles Tori got, the more Jade grew insecure. And it didn’t help that the one time she was supposed to have her own thing in school, it was canceled to make way for Tori’s prom.</p><p> </p><p>         Tori Vega ends up feel bad, but not for the reason she was supposed to. She didn’t know how much Jade’s work meant to her; all she knew was that her ego gets the best of her most times. That when it came to Jade, she often got too caught in competition— in putting her back in her place. But she never thought that even Beck would call them out on it.</p><p>"Dude, c'mon she was being a gank the whole time you were gone" Andre defends Tori, seeing how the girl's happy mood depleted.</p><p>At this, Tori agrees stating her defense, "She tried to ruin Prome"</p><p>He gets that. He knows that more often than not Jade could be insufferable, that she riles other people up, and picks fights as if to release her pent-up stress. But this time was different, and he didn’t want to think about how she was almost put in danger when he wasn’t around.</p><p>"So that makes it fine for you to let a half-naked freak manhandle her for a mile down the street?" Beck counters smoothly. "Did any of you even check if she got home safely after watching some strange guy carry her off? She could've gotten hurt."</p><p>"I tried to, but I couldn't get in touch with Jadey. She hasn't been home either" Cat finally speaks up, after suppressing herself from talking due to the cold air that surrounded the boy.</p><p>"<em>She could've gotten hurt</em>" he repeated before taking in a breath, at the thought of the possibility, "God, I don't even want to think about what could've happened if she didn't know how to defend herself. "</p><p>The thought didn’t even the half-Latina’s mind. She tries to reason out, "I'm sorry. Jade hired him, so I thought—"</p><p>"That doesn't give you the right to let him walk off with her. In the first place, she worked <em>damn</em> hard on that play, and you couldn't even reschedule your stupid prom?"</p><p>It wasn't just <em>her</em> fault, Tori thinks, she just wanted everyone to enjoy themselves. She wanted to do something for the school. And at that, she tries to reason out, "People liked it! Sikowitz approved of it!”</p><p>"<em>Sure</em>, because it's fine to invalidate Jade's passion for her work if that could mean that you can have your way and invent a prom out of nowhere" the boy retorts, wondering if Jade's sarcasm was rubbing off on him "Would you really blame her for trying to ruin it?"</p><p>"I'm sorry," Tori wholeheartedly apologizes knowing that she hit below the belt.</p><p>Andre agrees, "Yeah, same here, bro. I-I didn't realize we took it too far either."</p><p>Satisfied with the guilty expression on their faces, Beck takes in a breath to calm himself, telling them, "Apologize to <em>her</em>."</p><p>And they eventually did.</p><p>In fact, Tori was determined to clean up her mess, and she confronted Sikowitz about giving Jade another show date. That way not only was she able to make it up to her for ruining her play, but she also made sure that Beck was there to watch it. In fact, she was surprised to have the other girl return her apology, that despite her pride, Jade West knew she also crossed the line at some point. They easily agreed to bury the issue under the hatchet, allowing Tori to revert to somewhat okay terms with the maiden (which was progress because although she was never on good terms with her, it was better than when the goth was out to get her).</p><p>Tori Vega learned more than one thing that day. Aside from her mistakes, she realized that Beck Oliver's emotions often stirred in regard to his girlfriend. That he was not so often collected no matter how he appeared to be. That anything that had to do with Jade West can easily tip him off.</p><p>She realizes that despite how passive he often acted; Beck Oliver cared a whole lot for Jade West no matter what it seemed.</p><p> </p><p>▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬ ▬</p><hr/><p> </p><p>         <strong><em>The first time Tori Vega realizes that Jade West wasn't as bad as a girlfriend as she intially believed </em></strong>was during that disastrous trip in Yerba. They had managed to get passed the border and change out of their prison uniforms, all thanks to their luggage which Sikowitz manage to jam in the passenger seat of the duck truck.</p><p>They managed to book the earliest flight back to Los Angeles, and while they waited for their boarding time, they settled in the airport's cafe, finally breathing after the chaos.</p><p>Most of them had been knocked asleep in the not-too-comfortable-but-good-enough seats of the bustling cafe that they much preferred over the cold cells of prison. It wasn't as if their vacation could take a worst turn, and honestly, the teenagers were too exhausted to even complain.</p><p>Sikowitz was outside the cafe, keeping an eye for any news on their flight, whilst contacting his student's parents to let them know about the situation. Andre Harris took dibs on the armchair, sleeping as soon as he sat down. Robbie laid his head on one of the tables sitting on a less comfortable chair, having been the reason why they were all thrown into prison after he killed the chancellor's octopus. And Tori Vega was situated in the five-seater couch, in between her drooling older sister who was leaning on her shoulder, and Cat who was sleeping on her lap whilst cuddling a stuffed toy she bought in one of the souvenir stores of the airport. Beck took the liberty of occupying the corner, leaving a seat for Jade, in between him and Cat.</p><p>Apart from their teacher, the couple had been the only one who were wide awake, Jade was at the counter buying coffee, to at least prove that they weren't freeloading in the cafe without purchasing anything. Aside from that, she manages to buy Cat a box of cupcakes, just to ensure that the redhead would be able to shut up on the plane back to LA.</p><p>Unknown to the couple, Tori had just woken up due to the sound of Trina snoring, choosing to keep her eyes shut initially due to exhaustion and refusal to be blinded by the light of the cafe. Bothered by the noise of the busy store, she maintains her state of half-consciousness, refusing to acknowledge the other customers around them as she tries her best to rest.</p><p>Although, she was certainly awake enough to hear Jade's voice as she handed her boyfriend a cup of coffee, "Americano with a splash of breve."</p><p>"You remembered" Beck smiles back at her, referring to how he was more often the one who bought her coffee, and the one who knew about how much she insisted on the quality of her black coffee with two sugars.</p><p>"What? You think I'm a bad girlfriend?" the girl snaps almost immediately, to which Tori mentally rolled her eyes at. She wonders if Jade’s snippy attitude never changes despite how tired Beck most likely was.</p><p>"I didn't say that"</p><p>"Scooch over."</p><p> </p><p>         The silence causes Tori to take a peek, watching the typical display of public affection of the pair, Beck wraps his arms on his girlfriend and Jade leans back against his chest. Tori notices how the boy leaned forward, laying his head against his girlfriend's shoulder, something he never usually did around others.</p><p>"What's wrong?" Jade asks, almost as if she knew how to read his mind. Although the concern was not audible in her tone, her voice was softer than usual.</p><p>"I'm sorry" Beck tells her so quietly, that Tori almost misses it.</p><p>"For the last time, stop apologizing" Jade chastised him, despite how she sounded calmer than Tori's ever heard her. Her voice lacked undertone of annoyance. If anything, she sounded like she was assuring him, despite how it was neither affectionate nor gentle.</p><p>Beck reminds her of their original plans, the one she looked forward to that she even bragged about to their group of friends, "We could've gone to Cancun."</p><p>"It's not your fault your family hates my guts. I don't exactly have a reputation."</p><p>"Yeah, but—"</p><p>"You chose to spend semester break with me. That's what matters." Jade insists with a stern voice, "I don't need some dumb trip with people I’d hate."</p><p>"We didn't really spend it together. It was a pretty chaotic."</p><p>"Yeah, gotta thank Vega for that disaster" she added a snide remark, to which Tori had the urge to speak back. But she'd rather not disturb the couple and admit that she was eavesdropping on them.</p><p>"Sleep over in my RV when we're back?"</p><p>"Or we can go on a road trip to make up for this disaster."</p><p>"Gotcha" he agrees, kissing the side of her head endearingly, before going silent. Tori wonders if they have fallen asleep like the rest of them.</p><p> </p><p>         Jade speaks up after a moment, calling out to the boy who had his arms wrapped around her, "Beck?"</p><p>"Hm?" he lifts his head momentarily to look at her.</p><p>"Say you love me." It comes out as a demand rather than a question.</p><p>"Magic word?"</p><p>"<em>Please</em>." Her eye-roll could've been predicted through the tone of her voice.</p><p>Yet, he answers softly, though loud enough for their friend to hear, "I love you."</p><p>And at that moment, Tori Vega feels a pang of jealousy for Jade West; not because of Beck Oliver, but because of how lucky she was to be in a long-term relationship— because of how lucky she was to have a guy like him.</p><p>What she failed to recognize at that moment, was the fact that Beck Oliver was just as lucky to have Jade West.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>         <strong><em>Tori Vega always thought that Jade West was the one who was greatly invested in the relationship she had with her boyfriend</em></strong>. She was hysterical and jealous of any girl that approached him, while the boy was often too busy trying to calm her down. Beck had always been the one who had his shit together, in fact, he was also the one who kept Jade in check.</p><p>That's why, Tori Vega never thought that there would ever come a day that Beck Oliver was the wreck and Jade West was more put together.</p><p>The breakup that was brought upon by the events of Sinjin's stupid game show not only damaged Beck and Jade’s relationship, but it also caused tension in their group of friends. Everyone was over the edge regarding the breakup, and although their friends all know that it was much needed, it was also easy to tell how miserable they were without each other.</p><p> </p><p>         For one, Tori Vega never thought that Beck would even stoop so low to come close to kissing her. In the same way, she never thought she would feel bad about kissing Beck Oliver, who was any girl's dream boy, especially now that he was single. Then again, she realizes that attraction was different from affection.</p><p>The moment he tries to kiss her, her mother walks in and interrupts them before anything happens. And to Tori's surprise, a part of her realizes she was relieved that nothing happens. She knows her behavior was brought on by how bad she felt about the Platinum Music Awards, how Jade replaced her spot. She was in a low spot and right in front of her was her friend, a form of comfort and a the one who saw through her act that the stupid producers told her to do. It was the only reason why, she found herself leaning in for a second time.</p><p>But she stops midway at the thought of Jade.</p><p>Tori remembers that she had always known Beck Oliver as Jade West's. She realizes the cause of her jealousy: that she wasn't envious because of Beck, but because, unlike Jade, she never had a relationship that lasted that long; she never had a guy who treated his girl the way he did. She realizes that it wasn't Beck Oliver that she was fond of, but the idea of dating a perfect guy— the idea of a relationship that was as meaningful as Beck and Jade's; where they learn to accept each other through the good and the bad, where they always find their way back to each other in the end.</p><p>Because unlike all her other ex-boyfriends, she never loved Beck the same way. He was a close friend who understood her, who helped her out a lot; but she never fell for him, knowing he had a Jade. And unlike her, Tori knew of her own habit of dating wazzbags; boys who either cheated on her, used her or never appreciated who she was for herself.</p><p>Beck, on the other hand, was an outlier. He dated Jade despite knowing who she was and how crazy she gets. He accepted her, with all the trouble she brought, and took it upon himself to take responsibility over her. He went through lengths for Jade West. And that was more than enough to tell how much he loved her.</p><p>With that, Tori Vega deduces that she was attracted the Beck Oliver who was in love with Jade West, for the reason that she wanted a guy to look at her the same way. She liked idealization of Beck, who he appeared to be. Tori liked the idea of the perfect guy, oblivious to his flaws that Jade was aware of; his immaturity and passive aggressiveness.</p><p>But in front of her, she realizes that Beck was just a boy, who looked so lonely and lost— a guy who was clearly not over his ex-girlfriend. Tori ends up remembering how exhausted he looked the first few weeks of his breakup; how wonky he acted; how despite insisting he was fine, he still wore his matching necklace; how sometimes he ends up buying two cups of coffee instead of one; or how he snuck glances at his ex whenever she was around.</p><p> </p><p>         When Tori dodged his attempt to kiss her, she tells him that she couldn't do it because of Jade. Because Beck was still not over her, and she couldn't do it knowing how Jade would feel. The irritation evident in his voice when he convinces Tori that Jade wasn't exactly a good person, only proved the brunette's point; that Beck Oliver was still in love with Jade West and he was a complete mess without her. Because Tori knew that he had been acting out in revenge, in the bubbling frustration that he held against his ex.</p><p>She understood that; the pain of a breakup and the desperation to move on. So, instead of getting mad at him for trying to use her, whether it was to get back at Jade or to move on from Jade, Tori Vega feels bad for him instead. And although she tells him that she couldn't do that to their friend, a part of her thinks that she doesn't want to destroy the possibility of her friends getting back together.</p><p>She manages to knock some sense into him, and eventually he breaks his facade in front of her, confessing that he did still love Jade West. Although Jade doesn't witness his confession, having been hurt by his attempt to kiss her nemesis, Tori eventually manages to convince him to watch the performance, because it wasn't Jade's fault that she was chosen to take Tori's spot. Besides, she was sure that no matter how much he denied it, it would be a waste not to watch their friend's performance.</p><p> </p><p>         Thus, she was more than satisfied as they started driving towards the awards despite being stuck in the LA rush traffic. Tori Vega being herself, she couldn't stop the part of her that was determined to know more. After all, it was rare for her friend to express that much emotion, she was determined to milk out as much as she could.</p><p>So, with enough time to spare, the brunette turns to the boy as he drives the car, clearly silent after his earlier confession about his still existing feelings for his ex-girlfriend.</p><p>"Talk, Beck," Tori probes him, "You're obviously holding back."</p><p>"Whaaat? <em>Psh</em>.” he asks with a defensive tone, chuckling nervously, because although he was a good actor, lying was not his forte. Most especially when he was already found out.</p><p>"I mean," she starts, "You’re clearly thinking about Jade so just say something about her. Like why you tried to kiss me even though you still have feelings for her"</p><p>"<em>Tori</em>," he warns.</p><p>"Come on, Beck. We have so much time to spare. I, at least, deserve an explanation. <em>Please</em>?," Tori whines, attempting to persuade him.</p><p>“Fine.” He admits, "I did it because I—I wanted her to feel the same pain I felt when she walked out that door. The pain that I felt every time she easily tells us we're over. I wanted to get back at her because she was doing so well as our nearly-three-year relationship was nothing."</p><p>"I get that," Tori nods, it was normal to feel that way after a breakup, but she thinks there's more to that. "But?"</p><p>"But what?"</p><p>She shrugs innocently, "Dunno. I just had a feeling it was more than that."</p><p>Beck chuckles, knowing well about how fond his friend was of meddling into other people's business. Thinking about how they were close friends anyway, he decides it wouldn't be too bad to tell her. She reminded him of Andre, and he finds it easy to get along with her compared to Cat and Robbie because she usually understood the point in his behavior. He also realizes it was better to tell her because Tori tended to dig deeper the more she didn't know, and she was probably not going to stop at that.</p><p>"Look, I just wanted to know if she still feels something—if she still feels <em>anything</em>." Beck admits, "It's stupid but I thought maybe if we went out with each other, she’d get jealous like how you did with Cat and Danny, remember?"</p><p>"<em>Ugh</em>," she groans, recalling the guilt she had to face, "Don’t talk about Danny. I still feel bad for doing that to Cat."</p><p>"Okay," he agrees. "Anyways, trying to make a move on you was a mistake on my part. <em>Clearly</em>. And when you stopped me, I realized that if I did, I would have just proven Jade's insecurities right. That all this time it was right for her to be jealous of people because I would mess around with other girls just to get back at her."</p><p>"But you didn’t."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"You didn’t prove her insecurities right. You felt guilty, and you weren’t in the right mind" she tells him sternly, "Beck, if you still love her, just tell her. I’m sure she’d take you back with open arms."</p><p>“No, she won’t” he tells her, frustration in his voice. “All this time she asked me to take her back whenever she initiated our breakups. But this time she didn’t, Tori. She doesn’t want to anymore. Our relationship didn’t make <em>her</em> happy. It didn't make <em>me</em> happy. She freaked out every time and we would fight <em>a lot</em>. I just— I don't think I'm the right person for her."</p><p>"Okay, I get that. But don't do anything that would end up hurting you both” she tells him, wondering if he was making the right decision.</p><p>"Thanks. I'll keep it in mind" a small smile forms on his lips. "One more thing,"</p><p>"Hm?" she looks at him, wondering what else was left to say.</p><p>"Keep this mess between us, yeah?"</p><p>She laughs at his request. The oh-so-transparent Beck Oliver was asking her to keep a secret, of course she knows better than to tell anyone else. They were friends, after all.</p><p>Though, at the same time, she’s doubting his decision because she knows that Jade was definitely hurt by the breakup, and she knows that meant that she obviously cared for Beck. And Tori thinks that it’s a waste for him to let go of the girl he loved, if they’re both going to suffer anyway. After all, Tori was certain of one thing: Beck Oliver needed Jade West, just as much as Jade needed him.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>         <strong><em>Tori Vega finally realizes that there was more to Jade West than she'd ever know</em></strong>, when she crashes Tori's opposite date with Beck Oliver. Cat Valentine, being her usual unpredictable chaotic self, suddenly insisted on ridding back with Beck and get ice cream, instead of carpooling in Jade's car like she did before they got to the vet.</p><p>Tori, sticking to her morals, decides to ride with Jade because it would be unfair to blatantly leave her out, and she was likely to get more suspicious of the fact it was a date if the brunette insisted to still ride with Beck. Besides, they all agreed to head towards Beck's RV to apply ointment on his aunt's dog, so if ever Jade does decide to murder her, there would be a number of people who would know she did it.</p><p> </p><p>         Though, despite agreeing to carpool with her not-so-friend, Tori never expected for their drive to be oddly silent.</p><p>Jade West was rarely ever silent, she was either raising her voice until it became shrill or tossing around sassy remarks insulting whoever it was that managed to piss her off. Whenever she kept quiet, Tori Vega finds herself anxious, like that one-time Jade was oddly kind when she volunteered to drive Tori to school.</p><p>So, with only one conversation topic she could think of, Tori couldn't help but blurt out, "Jade, are you really okay?"</p><p>"What do you want, Vega?" Jade returns the question, eyes never leaving the road.</p><p>"With Beck, I mean—"</p><p>"Do you want to get off this car?"</p><p>"I mean you would be hysterical before." Tori ignores her threat as she continues to speak, "It's hard to believe that it's that easy—"</p><p>"It's not easy," Jade corrects her. "But I get it. Look, I wouldn't say I'm fine when I'm not."</p><p>The brunette stares at her, feeling unconvinced, causing the other girl to roll her eyes as she hit the brakes at the stoplight.</p><p>"All this time, Beck was the only thing I had. I got too dependent and paranoid. I revolved my world around him, that I forgot about everything else," Jade answers rather willingly despite the fact that she was talking to Tori Vega, her sworn nemesis, "If we didn't break up, I probably would've drifted away from Cat, I'd be way meaner to Robbie, I wouldn't have gotten closer to Andre and I would most definitely not be having a civil conversation with you."</p><p>Tori finds it hard to believe that it was all she thought, so she reminds the girl in a small voice, "But that doesn't mean your feelings aren't valid."</p><p> </p><p>         The blue-eyed girl's patience grows thin as the half-Latina continues to attempt to drag the conversation longer. Jade doesn't understand Tori's ulterior motives, the same way the other girl doesn't understand her train of thought.</p><p>"Don't psychoanalyze me or I will make sure you'll walk the rest of the way, Vega" she threatens, "If you wanna date Beck, just shut up and do it"</p><p>"I won't" the brunette answers, her voice doesn't waver even for a second.</p><p>Jade remembers their call during the Platinum Music Awards, Beck's attempt in kissing Tori Vega, and how the girl rejected him for her sake. She remembers doubting Tori's relationship with Beck earlier that morning because she couldn't understand why they'd hide their date if there wasn't anything to be suspicious about. She remembers all the days leading up to her breakup, when couldn't understand why Tori always needed Beck when she so often acted so perfect as if she got her shit together.</p><p>In short, she simply couldn't fathom the entirety of Tori Vega as she just so happened to be the antithesis of the maiden. And in the same way, Tori Vega could never figure out Jade West who was an expert in wearing masks and hiding beneath her facade.</p><p>"No, seriously, Prince Charming and all, I don't plan to," Tori repeats when she earned no response, "It's weird dating your ex and I don't want to do that to you."</p><p>"I don't want your pity, Vega" Jade gives her a quick glance before refocusing on the road.</p><p>"It's not" The brunette insisted, "I'm just saying, that even if you hate me, I think of you as friend and I won't do that to you"</p><p>"We are. <em>Kinda</em>." the azure-eyed maiden surprisingly agrees, to which Tori ends up gushing.</p><p>"<em>Aww</em>"</p><p>"Shut up" Jade immediately snaps despite the grin that formed on the other girl's face.</p><p>"So,<em> friend</em>" Tori gives her a knowing smile, "You're really moving on?"</p><p>"Don't push it" Jade warns her, but she answers if that would mean that she would finally drop the topic. "But yeah. I finally realized that Beck deserves to be happy even if it's not with me."</p><p>And right then Tori Vega realizes that Jade West had changed in a span of a few months, but more than that she realizes just how much Beck Oliver meant to the girl for her to prioritize him over her own feelings.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>         <strong><em>Tori Vega wonders why they weren't together despite how they clearly loved each other anyway.</em></strong> She knows she couldn't do anything about their situation, seeing as she was an outsider in their relationship, so she respects their decision instead of putting them back together. After all, she knows how bad it was to be hung up over a breakup despite how many months had passed. After hearing about how Jade was planning to move on and Beck refusing to do anything, she thinks that it was also about time for them to go out with other people.</p><p>Tori Vega was fond of fixing things, she especially loved it when it all worked out just like she imagined. The only downside, one can say, would be the fact that it can easily become a bad habit. Just like all the other times she meddled, pushing her righteousness and principles, refusing to give in when she had to.</p><p>That’s why she believed she was in the right when she tried to set them both up because her friends deserve an opportunity to move on, albeit clearly messing up when she paid a guy to date Jade. It easily results to a wild goose chase and death threat with the use of toilet paper. Despite knowing that she may have messed up, it turned out to be a big sigh of relief when things finally work out, because after the date with Meredith, Beck finally admits that there was no one else for him but Jade. He's done with moping around and doing nothing to take his ex-girlfriend back. And as soon as her performance ends, everything eventually worked out. They made out on stage, they got back together, they tried to sing a duet only to end up snogging midway their song.</p><p>And so, despite how it was up to the couple, Tori Vega still lent a hand in fixing Beck and Jade (although definitely inadvertently), just as much as the rest of their friends did. Because even if it were up to the couple, what everyone else didn’t see, were the tiny nudges from their friends, the push they needed to get over the pride they so often held. Because just like everyone else in their group of friends, Tori Vega wanted Beck and Jade to be happy together.</p><p>She can easily recall her conversation with Andre Harris a year ago, about the couple's relationship and how they seemed dysfunctional at first glance. She finally realizes his point: that Beck and Jade always find their way back together; and now, she can finally admit that she knows them better, she comes into terms that who they were was different from who they appeared to be.</p><p> </p><p>         So, with everything somewhat back to normal, she and her friends hang out with the couple in the Vega household for a movie night. While Beck walks over to the kitchen to get himself and his girlfriend some coffee, Tori scooches over to the space beside Jade.</p><p>"<em>Heeey</em>," she greets in the same tone when she has something to talk about.</p><p>"What do you want, Vega?" the raven-haired spat, as if she expected the girl to bother her with some nonsense much like Cat does.</p><p>"So, you're back together with Beck" Tori begins, with a much too happy smile.</p><p>Jade, who was certainly not in the mood for a heart-to-heart talk, threatens, "Do you want me to hit you in the face with a hammer?"</p><p>"<em>Relax</em>" clearly unaffected by Jade's threat, Tori continues, "I was just gonna ask something."</p><p>"Well, spit it out. I don't want you sitting here while I'm making out with my boyfriend" the other girl smirks, nonetheless.</p><p>"Okay, okay" Tori brushes her off, taking a familiar necklace from her pocket, "My mom found this when she was cleaning the couch yesterday. Is it yours?"</p><p>Jade could've sworn that relief took over her body as she looked at the necklace in the brunette's hand; Beck and Jade's first matching necklace, the washers they found in his toolbox, the necklace she lost during the duration of their breakup. To think that it was lost in the same place where their relationship was the brink of its end.</p><p>"I thought I lost it," the girl breathes out, Tori happily handed it back.</p><p>"<em>Sooo</em>" the Latina couldn't help but ask, figuring that it most likely slipped out of her pocket some time ago, "You still carried it around when you were broken up?"</p><p>Jade doesn't deny it, although she does repeat her threat, "Shut up, or I'm seriously going to hit you with a hammer."</p><p>Tori chuckles, knowing better than to take Jade's threats seriously. Just the way she didn’t deny the truth told her enough, so the girl chooses to simply remind her, “Take care of it next time."</p><p>Nevertheless, despite her hesitance, Jade does admit she's grateful, "Thanks. I owe you one."</p><p>It reminds her of the other time she tried to get Beck and Jade together, the whole Rottweiler incident. Tori tries to push her luck, "C'mon, give Tori a squeeze."</p><p>And despite her annoyance, Jade obliges despite attempting to crush the girl’s spine with a death grip hug. She finally lets go after Tori's whining, mainly due to the fact that Beck was back with her coffee in hand, prepared just the way she liked it.</p><p>As the boy watches Jade put on the familiar necklace, a smile forms on his face as she realizes that she found it. He gives Tori a quick glance, mouthing his thanks. And seeing everything put back together, Tori couldn't help but mirror the boy's smile as she moves towards her spot beside Robbie, Cat and Andre.</p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>         <strong><em>If someone ever told Tori Vega that she would be helping Jade West in the future, </em></strong>she would say that it wasn't anything unexpected. There were more than enough times that Jade asked her for help ever since the breakup saved by the Rottweiler incident. There were also enough times that Jade demanded help, and Tori, always taking up the challenge, agrees to assist her in any way. But, despite everything that happened, if anyone told her that she would specifically be helping Jade West to choose a wedding dress as a bridesmaid, Tori Vega would definitely accuse them of lying.</p><p>Yet, here she was, having spent nearly three hours in the store, with a clearly aggravated bride-to-be, and an extremely excited redhead, who just so happened to know nothing about the responsibilities she had as the maid of honor. Thus, Tori takes it upon herself to ensure that the girl wouldn’t explode, seeing as they were nowhere close to finding the dress Jade liked, despite spending so much time trying on every single one. In all honestly, Tori couldn't help but wonder how long it would take for Jade to snap and finally set the whole store on fire.</p><p>"<em>Ugh</em>" Jade West groans for the nth time, "I hate white so damn much."</p><p>"What's wrong with white?" Cat Valentine, with her childlike innocence, ponders. "It's pretty on you Jadey!"</p><p>"No. It's <em>disgusting</em>," she spat out.</p><p>Tori tries to appease the maiden, assuring her that it was in her control. "It is your wedding. If you don't want to wear white, then don't."</p><p>"But, Beck would like it to be all traditional," the girl grips the veil in frustration, to which Tori chuckles.</p><p>"Since when did Jade West do <em>traditional</em>?" she retorts knowing how much the girl hated being predictable.</p><p>"I can choose one!" Cat offers before Jade has the chance to rebut Tori's statement. Instead, the blue-eyed girl, focused all her attention on the redhead to shout out.</p><p>"No!" Jade crosses her arms over her chest, threateningly. Although, the white gown she was wearing soften up her image a tad bit. "I don't want to be dressed in pastel looking like some pastry."</p><p>Tori reminds her, "Well, if you wanna change things up. Go ahead and change it up a little."</p><p>"Ohh, you mean a custom dress? I can do that!" Cat chirps in, happily offering her tailor skills which she so happened to hone back in high school.</p><p>"No to <em>pink</em>—no to any other color" Jade emphasizes, directing her best friend sternly before muttering, "I want black. God, I <em>want</em> to wear <em>black</em>"</p><p>"Then wear black!" Tori exclaims wondering why she didn't do so in the first place. It wasn't like Jade West to attempt to appease her fiancé or anyone for that matter. After all, the blue-eyed girl was often so brazen, she always did what she wanted, and she never let anyone get in her way.</p><p>"No!" Jade retorts, admitting the real reason why she was so particular with what she'd be wearing, "If I want to make Beck cry as soon as he sees me, then I should unpredictably wear white on the day he expects me in anything else but white."</p><p>"You have a lifetime ahead of you to make him cry" Tori jokes before saying her opinion, "Besides, brides naturally wear white. It's not unexpected in weddings."</p><p>"I <em>never</em> wear white" Jade counters, reminding the half-Latina of her usual dark get up.</p><p>But Tori maintains her belief, believing that the bride should get what she wants, "Then meet halfway and wear both! It’s a shame not to wear what you want on <em>your</em> special day!”</p><p>"Hmm," the bride-to-be thinks the idea through, "A black and white wedding dress?"</p><p>"I can make it!" Cat immediately jolts up and raises her hand.</p><p>"You're <em>busy</em>," Jade reminds them, her temper flaring from the stress of the wedding preparations, "We have a shit ton to do. In fact, have you even practiced your performance for the reception?"</p><p>Cat squeaks and Tori takes it from there, appeasing the maiden, despite the fact that she still can't believe that Jade West was allowing her to sing at her wedding as if they hadn't been nemesis back in high school. As much as it came to her as a surprise, Tori Vega was ecstatic because it was hard not to feel good to learn that the girl finally trusted her. And damn, Jade West’s trust was as precious as a hard to find mineral.</p><p> "Andre's got the music covered, his tour finished this week, and his flight is today. Cat and I would be rehearsing with him this evening and the following days after work. The rest of the bridal preparations are almost finished next week and if you want it done faster, we can buy a dress you like enough, and then have Cat do her thing" Tori gives her a rundown of their progress, hoping that Jade would finally agree.</p><p>"Okay," the azure-eyed maiden mutters audibly, albeit hesitantly.</p><p>"Calm down," the brunette assures, rubbing the bride’s arms assuringly, "You know Beck finds you beautiful in anything."</p><p>"Or wearing nothing," Jade quirks an eyebrow suggestively, to which her two friends exclaim in unison.</p><p>"<em>Jade</em>!"</p><p>“Gosh,” Tori sighs right after she shouted, “Save it for the honeymoon.”</p><p>But nevertheless, the brunette thinks that it was nice to know that some things never changed. And even despite the fact that Tori Vega, and the rest of their friends were taking steps towards their dreams, she was more than willing to give spare time to meet them. And more than willing to lend a hand to prepare for their future.</p><p>Because if someone told Tori Vega that years from then Beck Oliver and Jade West would be spending their lifetime together, she would say that it was just as things should because they were truly meant to be. After all, through all the years she spent with the couple, despite entering the picture a lot later than the others, Tori Vega knew that Beck Oliver loved Jade West just as much as the girl loved him.</p>
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<a name="section0002"><h2>2. of photographs and matching necklaces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p><br/><em>this chapter is set within the following episodes:</em> jade gets crushed (2x10), andre's horrible girl (3x04), the blonde squad (3x13), cell block (4x05), star spangled tori (4x12)<br/><em>disclaimer: victorious &amp; its characters belong to its respective owner.</em></p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <hr/><p>
  <em>as seen through robbie shapiro</em>
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<hr/><p> </p><p>            Robbie Shapiro was often left out of the picture. He was the onlooker; a wallflower; an outsider who stood from afar. The awkward teenage boy who wasn't as close to Jade as Cat was, nor as close to Beck as Andre was. But he was there long enough to know that there was more.</p><p>He owed it to the couple, because even though they didn't notice, even if it were unintentional, there were numerous times when they had supported him in the simplest ways. He owed it to them, to see beyond their relationship because they were his friends. He was there long enough to know there was always more to them than the caricature of themselves that was built by people's expectation of them.</p><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>Robbie Shapiro's first encounter with Jade West could be summarized by a general impression of fear</em></strong>. His hands felt clammy, he felt lightheaded, and he was so sure that a little bit of pee came out of him the moment she met his eyes. Nevertheless, unlike everyone else in the school, she didn't give him an odd look for carrying a puppet around. Instead, despite the fact that their lockers were beside each other, she doesn't spare him any attention as if he never existed— Jade West's typical demeanor back in their first week in Hollywood Arts.</p><p>He never exactly got a chance to talk to Jade West, until Cat Valentine trotted along to converse with her friend. It was a surprise to him when he found out the sweet girl, was oddly enough, Jade West's best friend. They were inseparable despite their contrasting personalities; despite how the redhead was the type to fantasize about living in magical sugar castles while the goth was the type that resembled the Wicked Witch of the West, the common archetype of villains. Sometimes, he never really understood their dynamic.</p><p>The bundle of red hair never failed to acknowledge his presence whenever she ran over to her blue-eyed friend. She would greet Robbie with a smile as she waited for her friend to gather her things from her locker. With the kindness and attention Cat often sent his way, it was easy for Robbie Shapiro to find himself developing an infatuation for the maiden. And it was perhaps what led to his long-term crush on the synthetic redhead.</p><p> </p><p>            "Hi!" the petite maiden would so often greet him, as she waited for Jade West to collect her stuff from her locker impaled by scissors.</p><p>"H-Hi" Robbie stammers, cursing his awkwardness as he returns a crooked smile. His heart palpitates and his stomach feels heavy. He's overwhelmingly anxious, not only by the glare Jade sent his way, but also from the fact that he was talking to a girl he likes.</p><p>Rex always makes him feel better. It was a coping mechanism. Rex Powers may have been crass and rude, but it made Robbie look better because the boy was not anything like the made-up personality of the puppet. And while everyone else is too busy taking their anger out on Rex, they forget about quirky boy who was behind him. No one noticed the remaining part of his self-esteem was hidden away in Rex Powers or the way he depicted the remnants of his masculinity.</p><p>Though, whenever Rex spoke up, things doesn't always turn out the way he expected. "Why you talking to this loser?"</p><p>"What's that supposed to mean?" Cat gasped, offended by the puppet, believing that she was who he referred to as loser.</p><p>"N-No. He doesn't mean you" Robbie stammers as he tries to clear up the misunderstanding.</p><p>But the way the boy acts as if the puppet is a separate entity only aggravates Jade. Almost as if she were protecting the girl from a weirdo who was going to hurt the her friend, the girl turns her heel, to grab her petite redhead by the wrist as she announces, "Cat! We're leaving."</p><p>"Kay kay!" the redhead chirps happily, and waves at him, as if she wasn't upset just a few seconds ago, "Bye Robbie!"</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>Robbie Shapiro befriends the golden boy, Beck Oliver</em></strong>, three months after their first day in school. Although, they rarely talked to each other, he knew more than enough to be able to tell that not only was Beck a good-looking popular somebody, but he was also a promising actor that was easily one of the top students of the class. He was the stereotypical cool guy. The type of person who wouldn't be seen chummy friends with socially awkward nerds who hid behind puppets.</p><p>Nevertheless, Beck manages to prove him wrong when he willingly chooses to pair up with Robbie Shapiro despite everybody else who dying to be his partner for their drama assignment. It was the second time he reminds himself not to judge anyone by their looks. Exhibit A being Jade West who was Cat Valentine’s best friend. Exhibit B being Beck Oliver who wanted to befriend the odd one out with no other ulterior motive.</p><p>Now, Robbie had always believed he wasn't anything special. Sure, he could somewhat sing, he liked working on theater tech and he could act somehow but compared to others who had a good edge on what they were doing, his numerous talents never made up for his shortcomings. He knew there were better options, like other members of the class, who were vying to be chosen by Beck Oliver. But despite what he thought of himself, Beck Oliver chose him. Not because he'd be a pushover who would do the work, but because he thought it would be great to know the guy. And for someone who believes that he was just a lame nobody, Robbie was no doubt thrilled to even be chosen by someone as cool as Beck.</p><p>So, when, the boy invites him to eat lunch with his group of friends, he most definitely does not say no.</p><p>"Hey guys," Beck walks over to their table at the Asphalt Cafe, with his new friend in tow, "This is Robbie Shapiro we're working on a project together"</p><p>"Oh! I know Robbie. His locker's next to Jade's." Cat informs them, cheerfully before greeting the boy, "Hi!"</p><p>"The name's Andre Harris" the other person introduces himself, looking up from the keyboard he was playing with, "So, you're into drama like the rest of them?"</p><p>"Uh. I-I'm still trying to choose which I like most. But, so far I’m enjoying all our classes" Robbie answers, sheepishly, "But yeah, I like acting and songwriting, I guess? I play guitar too"</p><p>"Cool. I just learned this year" Beck says, before taking the space empty space between his two friends, "Andre here can play almost anything. He can make songs in his sleep"</p><p>"Jadey's into songwriting too!" Cat buts into their conversation, as if they were showcasing their best friends. But speaking of Jade—</p><p> </p><p>            "Oh yeah. Where is Jade?" Beck asks, trying to sound as casual as possible as he wonders why it was just Cat and Andre eating on the table. He assumes she's probably elsewhere still trying to avoid his attempts to win her over but before Cat manages to answer his question, Robbie interrupts them.</p><p>"J-Jade sits here with you?" the boy holds Rex close to him, as if it was his only source of assurance.</p><p>"My boy here pissed his pants just by talking to the witch" the puppet says, taking the opportunity to make fun of his owner.</p><p>"<em>Rex</em>!" Robbie admonishes him as if it was some embarrassing secret.</p><p>"It’s aight. Everyone’s terrified of her” Andre surprisingly, agrees before turning to Beck with a smug grin "I told you, you're batshit crazy to have a crush on her, man"</p><p>"<em>Dude</em>!" It was Beck's turn to admonish his friend, as if Andre might as well shout it out to the world.</p><p>"It's not really a secret" Cat smiles innocently, "Jadey probably knows—"</p><p>"<em>Cat</em>." the boy looks at her with wide eyes, "Does she know?"</p><p>Instead of an answer, the redhead replies with a fit of giggles to which Andre choruses with a laugh. And then, Robbie thinks, it wouldn't be so bad being near Jade West if he had these people around him.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>Robbie's first impression of Beck and Jade's relationship was confusion</em></strong>. Because who in the world is sane enough to even date someone as terrifying as her? And how in the world was Beck not afraid, unlike everyone else?</p><p>Hell, despite being locker neighbors and despite being in her group of friends, Robbie's fear of Jade never waned. It was later in their freshman year, that despite being happy for Beck, who was slowly winning the girl over, he still couldn’t pinpoint the part of Jade West that attracted both Beck Oliver and Cat Valentine towards her.</p><p>The longer Robbie grew to know Jade, the more his fear of her seemed to increase. He couldn't see beyond her cruel words and terrifying persona, but nevertheless a small (extremely <em>tiny</em>) part of him knows that there was more to her about it. That she was still human like everyone else was. Afterall, how can the two kindest people he knows be so attached to the girl, if it weren’t for anything special? He’d like to assume that Beck, if not Cat, was probably a good judge of character.</p><p>It was during one of his few most terrifying encounters with Jade, that he sees more to their relationship than he ever did.</p><p> </p><p>            Robbie Shapiro, with all his weirdness and awkwardness, was an easy target to be bullied. And the fact that he carried around a puppet who often did more damage than good, only seemed to aggravate his situation.</p><p>The boy who picked on him violently forced the latter's back towards the cold metal, Rex dangling from his free hand. As if it were a stroke of luck, Jade West, who happened to be walking towards her own locker, easily interferes by swiping the puppet from the ruffian.</p><p>She scowls, "get out of my way."</p><p>And as if the boy saw a ghost, he pales and let go of Shapiro, forgetting the reason he was furious with the puppet and his owner. Everyone was afraid of the azure-eyed girl, after all. Everyone with the exception of Beck Oliver, but essentially still majority of the student body. Thus, it was inevitable to make a run for it at the sight of her, which worked in Robbie's favor for once in his life.</p><p>Jade West wasn't big on heroism. Rather, Robbie believes, she only did that because they were truly in the way. The manner in which she threw his puppet at him, seemed to confirm his beliefs. And if it weren’t enough, the next words she said, may have possibly weakened his knees (and not the good way).</p><p>"Get rid of that <em>thing</em> if it brings you more trouble than its worth" she glares at him before opening the door of her locker, as if the sight of him only fueled her irritation.</p><p>Thankfully, Beck Oliver, who was standing near the girl, was known for his ability to pacify her. And knowing him, Robbie was assured that his friend wouldn't let her do anything physically harm anyone.</p><p>"<em>Jade</em>," his voice wasn't reprimanding, but nevertheless it was clearly a warning, "Be nice."</p><p>"I just saved his ass" she rolls her eyes back at him before slamming her locker shut.</p><p>"I know," he rubs circles on her back, before she walks away, to head towards their next class.</p><p>Before running up to her, Beck turns to Robbie, who was still frozen in place, repeating the words Jade told him. She had a point. Rex was no doubt a coping mechanism, but he wasn't the best companion. <em>He</em> knew she had a point. She said it with good intentions, despite how crude it may have sounded. But even so, Beck takes it upon himself to apologize, because he'd rather not have anyone think bad of the girl he loved, especially during the rare moments she actually expressed kindness.</p><p>"Sorry for her" Beck manages to snap Robbie out of his thoughts, "Jade’s just easy to misunderstand. <em>Trust me.</em>"</p><p>Without waiting for a response, he walks towards his <em>almost-girlfriend</em> who was waiting impatiently by the staircase, wrapping an arm around her shoulder as if to tame her anger.</p><p>And from that, Robbie Shapiro realizes that understanding Jade was a gift, and there was less than a handful who had it. Most especially, compared to everyone else, Beck was the one who had the honor of knowing her most. And right then Robbie couldn’t help but wish for Beck to end up with Jade, not because they had feelings for each other or anything, but because he would definitely be doing the world a favor by saving everyone else from the Wicked Witch’s rage.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>The first time Robbie Shapiro was convinced that Beck Oliver and Jade West were truly suited for one another</em></strong>, was later that year when they were officially dating. Despite the push-and-pull and their constant bickering, he manages to notice the small things, albeit a lot less than both Andre and Cat do. Robbie was dense at times, and it took more than the simplest signs to let him see.</p><p>But he does notice the concrete signs, the physical objects.</p><p>He knows about the picture of the couple inside Jade's locker. He also knows about Beck's plaid shirts that she evidently often borrowed. And he most definitely knows about the matching necklace that recently hung around their necks that day.</p><p>"What is that?" Robbie wonders out loud that one time they were lounging around his locker, Jade leaning against Beck as he put his arm around her. The couple recently gone through their first split, but in less than 24 hours they were already back together, wrapped in each other's arms.</p><p>Cat and Andre turn their heads toward them, averting their attention to what he was referring to. Jade, as private as ever, slams her locker shut without batting an eye, "None of your business."</p><p>"This?" Beck asks, looking at the pendant hanging on his chest, " I found it in my toolbox"</p><p>"As a couple's necklace?" Robbie furrows his eyebrows, wondering why in the world would they wear around things that are more likely to be considered junk than a sentimental gift. They definitely had enough money to at least buy an actual one from a store at the mall.</p><p>Although, by this point in time, he should have already been able to tell that Beck and Jade never did conventional. So, maybe it does make sense that she isn't into diamond necklaces or expensive jewelry like other girls. And clearly, Beck wouldn’t bother wasting money on something his girlfriend wouldn’t even like. Maybe it was like them to find sentimental value in the simple things.</p><p>Thus, the blue-eyed girl repeats her words clearly before casually walking away, "It's none of your <em>damn</em>business."</p><p>Beck rolls his eyes fondly, running after his girlfriend instead of giving them an answer. He was used to the girl’s habit of leaving in the middle of a conversation, but nevertheless, like always, he still follows.</p><p> </p><p>            Once the couple was out of sight, Cat Valentine giggles out of the blue. Her soft laughter immediately catches Robbie's attention, and even Andre turns his head to look at her. They knew it was none of their business; that their friend's love life definitely had nothing to do with them, but even so, the redhead tells them.</p><p>"It's a peace offering after their breakup" Cat provides the answer Beck deprived them of, "And also a reminder."</p><p>"A reminder for what?" Robbie's queries, unable to see what a simple bolt can possibly remind anyone of.</p><p>"Jade's always crazy jealous so Beck says it's to remind her and to show everyone else that he is hers and she is his. Kinda like that thing we put on doggies, but this is for humans and they match. They should sell those! Pet necklaces" the redhead rambles, the topic morphing to another one of her random ideas.</p><p>Andre couldn't help but laugh out loud, after hearing his friend's explanation and discovering how sappy he could be. "Dang, he's <em>so</em> whipped."</p><p>"He is?" Robbie finds himself wondering how in the world are necklaces considered a form of affection, because for all he knows material objects were not exactly the most definite symbol of love. Though his friends do prove him wrong.</p><p>"He's heads over heels for her" the other boy explains, "Beck would never say all that sappy chiz for any other girl. I know there's more to that. There's probably some explanation for why it had to be washers, but let's leave that between them"</p><p>Though, from that Robbie does realize, the golden bolt hanging on a string was truly a well-suited metaphor for them. Because no matter how many times they fight and split apart, they build their relationship back up. Because Beck and Jade were more than their break ups. They fix things and makes things work out. They get lost but they eventually find their way back to each other.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>The first time Robbie Shapiro realizes that Jade West does as much for Beck Oliver like the boy does for her,</em></strong> was during their sophomore year. He used to think that the long-haired boy so often lets the girl walk over him, but there really is more to what they knew.</p><p>"Hey, you're back,” was the greeting Jade musters as she takes the coffee from her boyfriend’s hands.</p><p>Robbie overhears them as he walks towards his own locker. He was about to greet the couple, but seeing as they were in a conversation, he decides to wait instead of receiving Jade’s murderous aura for interrupting their reunion.</p><p>"That I am" Beck smiles at her, handing her the usual cup of coffee to make up for his absence during the last couple of days.</p><p>"So, you ready for the test today?"</p><p>"Yeah, thanks for the notes, babe"</p><p>"<em>Just</em> the notes?" she quirks an eyebrow as if to express how much of an ungrateful ass he was.</p><p>"And for being an amazing girlfriend and taking care of me the whole time” he adds, leaning down to give her a kiss.</p><p>"<em>Ugh</em>, don't spread your cooties” she teases when they pull away for air, “You might have leftover germs"</p><p>"Do <em>not.</em>”</p><p>"Do too" she counters despite giving him another chaste kiss, just as she finishes getting her stuff from her locker. She bids him goodbye as she heads towards first period, “I’ll see you in class.”</p><p> </p><p>            Robbie, simply stood in front of his own locker, wondering what they were talking about. He couldn’t help but recall a certain detail of their conversation. <em>Beck was sick? Jade took care of Beck? Was the Wicked Witch actually able to nurse a sick person?</em></p><p>Puzzled, he couldn’t help but turn to his friend who was left standing in front of his girlfriend’s locker. Before Beck even greets him, Robbie immediately blurts out "<em>Jade</em> took care of you? She's capable of caring for another human being?"</p><p>“Oh yeah. I had the flu. She came over to watch me and help me catch up on what I missed” Beck fills him in, as if it were normal for Jade to express even the tiniest amount of kindness.</p><p>“<em>Wow</em>” was all the other boy could say, but Rex manages a snide remark. "What possessed the gank?"</p><p>Beck furrows his eyebrows at the comment, and Robbie chastised as if he had no control over his puppet.</p><p>"Rex!"</p><p>And right then, Robbie realizes that there were so much more that everyone else apparently never saw of couple. That despite all the public displays of affection and their make out sessions in the hallways, they never really showed the depth of their relationship. And for once he thinks that Beck and Jade actually suit each other, and it wasn’t <em>just</em> because they balanced each other out.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>The first time Robbie Shapiro concludes that Beck and Jade’s relationship was more than a high school fling</em></strong>, was when he manages to catch sight of Beck and Cat together. The redhead continues to hop beside him in her Jupiter Boots. And the aspiring actor was holding up his camera in front of the girl, right as he caught sight of Robbie.</p><p>“Oh hey, dude!” Beck greets him, as the four-eyed boy makes his way to them, “Wanna help me out? Tori’s been cramming for her test and Andre’s been acting pretty weird lately.”</p><p>“What about Jade?” Robbie asks, seeing as his girlfriend was normally the first person, he would ask help from, more often to make sure that a fight wouldn't ensue.</p><p>“It’s supposed to be a surprise” Cat tells him as if it were obvious. “Beck says we can’t tell her yet”</p><p>“Yeah, I’ll tell her later” he shrugs, before explaining, “Besides she’s busy working on that song with Andre”</p><p>“Is it about her birthday? Doesn’t Jade hate surprises?” Robbie was even more skeptical. Jade <em>did</em> hate a lot of things, and he didn’t want to get in trouble.</p><p>“No, silly!” the redhead keeps bouncing, “Beck needs help for his photography class.”</p><p>“Oh, you mean with the camera? What model do you use?” the boy with glasses does his best to offer his assistance.</p><p>“Nah, I just need help choosing a picture for my portfolio” Beck runs a hand through his hair as he presses a certain button on the camera. “The general theme is something precious. It's dived into categories: an item, a place and a person. I’ve got the first two covered. I just need the last one.”</p><p>“He took a lot of pictures of Jadey” Cat chirps excitedly, as the said boy holds up the camera in front of them.</p><p>“Oh, how 'bout this?” Beck asks as he stops at a particular photo.</p><p>It was a sight of Jade that not everyone had the privilege of seeing. The raven-haired girl futilely attempting to cover the shot with her hand as she tries to enjoy the cup of coffee in her hand. It was a photo taken in the coffee shop during one of the couple’s early coffee runs. It managed to capture the essence of the moment despite how candid it was. But it wasn’t the most surprising thing—</p><p>“Woah, you managed to take a picture of her smiling!” Cat gasps, “Jadey always scowls in front of the camera. One time my brother tried to take a picture of her laughing, and she threw a book at him.”</p><p>Even Robbie found himself noting, “She looks so happy.”</p><p>And not the mischief kind of happy she was typically in, but an actual honest to good <em>I’m-having-a-good-day-despite-the-fact-that-I-hate-the-sun-and-everything-under-it</em> kind of happy. It wasn’t the normal happy that the cheerfully sweet girls like Cat or Tori normally were, but it was the kind of happy that Jade West reserved for Beck Oliver. Something people rarely (if not never) saw of her.</p><p>“Well, she's with Beck. Of course, she is!” Cat Valentine says it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.</p><p>Beck continues to press on the other buttons, browsing through the photographs, “She scowls a lot but I have a few others where I caught her smiling too.”</p><p>And Robbie looks at him instead of the screen, noticing the way his friend’s eyes seem to brighten at the sight of the girl.</p><p>“What do you think, Robbie?” Beck manages to interrupt his thoughts, but instead of giving him an answer, all the other boy could muster was a comment on his friend's relationship.</p><p>“<em>Wow</em>. You <em>really</em> love her.” Robbie let’s out a breath, as if it was such an unfamiliar concept, “Like love her <em>love her</em>. Like more than like <em>love her</em>.”</p><p>Beck Oliver finds himself incredibly weirded out by the sudden revelation his friend seemed to have. But he honestly didn’t have anything else to say, after all, hadn’t it been obvious enough when he started going out with her?</p><p>“Why else would I date her?”</p><p> </p><p>            The topic immediately shifts when the redhead, who took the camera from his hand, squeals as she shows them the favorite of the bunch, “Ohhh! I like this one from the beach where the sun shines on her face! She looks like she could be a mermaid!”</p><p>It was a shot of Jade pulling Beck’s hand, snow white skin linked with a contrasting olive tan arm. Her blue eyes seem to match the color of the sea. It crinkles as she smiles, full of mischief, completely capturing the essence of Jade. The sun only seemed to make the composition look even better than it already did.</p><p>And right then, Beck averts his attention to Cat, before hearing what Robbie has to say. He couldn’t help but agree with his girlfriend’s best friend, but there were a couple more to show “Yeah, that's my favorite too, but there's this other one—”</p><p>It was at that moment that Robbie was convinced that Beck and Jade wasn’t just your stereotypical high school sweethearts. He could tell from the look in the boy’s eyes, and the few captured moments that seemed to depict the girl’s feelings, that they definitely had something else. Although Robbie couldn’t pinpoint what it was, he was convinced that his friends were different— that the couple was made to last.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>Robbie Shapiro had since then thought that Beck and Jade were the ultimate couple.</em></strong> In the first place, he didn’t necessarily have the best example. He never remembered a time when his parents got along and usually, he believed it was his fault. His father never hides his disappointment with him and his mother, although extremely caring, was definitely exhausted with the shit he’d often put her through. It appeared that he was the cause of their impasse, and from then on, his self-esteem depended on a puppet that often brought him down instead of helping him out. With the state of his home, sometimes he’d wonder if love even existed.</p><p>But there were Beck and Jade. He saw how they fixed things after the fights. Despite how dysfunctional their relationship seemed, they made it work out.</p><p>And for him, even the longest lasting couples he knew, didn’t have that feat. His parents got worse after every single fight, to the point in which his mother threatened to leave. If it weren’t for his begging—him promising he’ll be a better son— she’d have probably left a long time ago. His grandparents weren’t any different, he hated how critical they were of not only him but also each other. It often made him wonder why they stuck together in the first place.</p><p>But Beck and Jade were different. They fought and then made up.</p><p>
  <em>But then, one day, they didn’t.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>            Everyone knows it wasn’t caused by that stupid gameshow that Sinjin hosted. Perhaps it was what rocked the boat and what caused the storm, but it wasn’t <em>just</em> that. They could never tell what exactly caused it but ever since then their group of friends felt like they were walking on thin ice. The couple raised their voices at each other, and it just reminded him of his home—his parents—that at some point in time, Robbie couldn’t help the tears that formed in his eyes.</p><p>He cried. (On multiple occasions, honestly).</p><p>He hated seeing his friends like this. Instead of feeling secure around them, he feels his stomach churn and his palms turn cold.</p><p>And then all of a sudden —after their futile attempt of having a break from Beck and Jade, in which they played cards in the Vega household trying to find peace from the constant arguments— it ends like a clean cut of a knife.</p><p>It ends after a count to ten. And suddenly there was deafening silence. Silence that never came with Jade around.</p><p>Robbie wants to cry again, but he doesn’t. It wasn't his problem.</p><p>Beck offers to resume their card game, finding something to distract himself with. Andre agrees with him, refusing to bring up the situation. Tori looks back at the door but takes a seat anyway. Trina clings onto Beck, as if he hadn’t just gone through a breakup. Cat volunteers to shuffle the cards, as if it weren’t her best friend that walked out the door.</p><p>No one breaches the topic, as if they were all in a state of denial. But everything falls apart as quickly as Jade counted.</p><p>Cat Valentine was the start of it all. She let out a soft sob, as if the carefree façade she put on had broken the longer they sat in silence. It was weird really. In the first place, she was an outsider. It was her best friend’s break up, the very same person who she didn’t run after.</p><p>No one left to check up on Jade.</p><p>And the redhead was no different, but when Tori envelops her into a hug and when Robbie put a hand on her back comfortingly, she tells them that she did want to go. She tells them that even though she <em>did</em> want to, she <em>couldn’t</em>. Because Jade never showed anyone her weakness, and if she did go, the blue-eyed girl would wear the mask she always did; she would keep acting tough despite the fact that all she wanted to do was mourn the three-year relationship that ended in a mere ten seconds. Cat doesn’t want to deprive her of her emotional release, so she stayed. Although, she does call Beck out on his actions because it was the least, she could do.</p><p>And once the sweet girl is upset, everyone’s naturally put in a bad mood; because who would dare make someone as sweet as Cat, cry?</p><p>Robbie gets it. He, himself, always wanted to feel loved back, (by anyone, really). But seeing how quick and easy it was for his friend's relationship to end, he couldn't help but wonder to wonder if love even really exists. Because all he’s seen is hurt and pain, and never any happy endings.</p><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>The boy can never tell who was to blame for the breakup.</em></strong> While at first, he would say that it was probably Jade’s fault for even giving out the ultimatum (and for all the moments she instigated the fights), in the end, he could never make sense of Beck’s side. Robbie wonders if everything Beck said about Jade being more to what everyone knew was truly just a lie. Robbie wonders if Jade was really as insufferable as she was made out to be.</p><p>Then again, here he was, a few weeks after the breakup, clearly miserable (a lot more in comparison to his ex-girlfriend).</p><p>In fact, to be more specific, here he was waiting in Robbie’s living room, as he suggested they hang out earlier that day, considering that Tori has plans with Andre to attend his horrible girlfriend’s birthday party. Cat, on the other hand, was looking after her mom’s boss’ dog, and Jade was doing who knows what (no one else really got to talk to her after that). The breakup caused their group of friends to momentarily split, like a couple of children who were caught in the middle of their divorced parents.</p><p>Beck and Jade hadn’t sat in the same table ever since that night, and the tension was still high. Robbie honestly fears it’d last that way forever.</p><p> </p><p>            And now, while Beck was lounging in Robbie’s couch, believing that his friend was still in the bathroom, the said friend catches a glimpse of what he was doing on his phone: scrolling through a certain someone’s Slap page, his eyes lingering on her photos longer than it should have.</p><p>And considering Robbie Shapiro and his lack of tact, he couldn’t help but blurt out, “Are you stalking Jade’s Slap page?”</p><p>“What?— Psh, <em>no</em>.” Beck jolts up, denying almost immediately, “I just saw it in my feed that’s all.”</p><p>As if he were caught redhanded, the Canadian boy locks his phone and turns to Robbie, trying to cover up the clear-as-day truth that he was not over his ex-girlfriend. But nevertheless, his friend could tell from the frustration in his face as he clearly read her status proudly announcing her plans for the night— a date she was going to be in.</p><p>It was the very moment that Robbie Shapiro realizes that the oh-so-popular and good-looking Beck Oliver, wasn’t as perfect as he seemed to be. <em>After all, if he was going to sulk about his ex then why couldn’t he just win her back?</em> He had the gift to get any girl he wanted, for god’s sake. Hell, if he was going to regret it, <em>why didn’t he just open the damn door? How hard was it to do so in a count to ten?</em></p><p>He could barely understand. Because unlike Beck, Robbie never really had a girl he could call his girlfriend, nor did he ever catch any girl’s attention to the point that they actually liked him. Not to mention, the girl he’s been pinning on for years was so damn out of his league that she never even considered him a candidate. He was always <em>just</em> there, just waiting for a certain redhead’s relationships to end, ready to comfort her in a heartbeat.</p><p>So, how hard was it to win over a girl who loved you back, as compared to what he’s been through?</p><p>“If you still love her, why don’t you just, <em>you know</em>— get her back?” he couldn’t help but ask, because how complicated could it be?</p><p>“It’s not that simple.”</p><p>He speaks as if he just proved what everybody else had to say about their relationship. That they only knew how to destroy each other— that <em>BeckandJade</em> was the embodiment of dysfunctional. But <em>that</em> was the problem. They never really brought up the fact that the impact of people’s words was the catalyst to their downfall. That the moment they <em>listened</em>, the destruction had begun. Because, what everyone else failed to emphasize was how BeckandJade often fixed things, it was how they worked; a constant cycle of repairing and improving, until one day, they finally noticed how everyone else believed in otherwise.</p><p>After all, people don’t like messy. People don’t like different. People don’t repair what was broken, when they could throw things away—find something new. People didn’t understand Beck and Jade.</p><p>But Robbie knew him long enough to be able to tell that Beck was deceiving himself. He let their words get to him until he fell deaf on her words. He heard what <em>they</em> had to say and all of a sudden, he stopped listening to <em>her</em> instead.</p><p> </p><p>            “Sure it is.” It was simple. They just gave excuses to make it seem a lot more complicated than it should be.</p><p>“I don’t think you’re one to talk,” Beck gives him a look as if Robbie didn’t know anything about what he was talking about, “Besides, the breakup was mutual. She instigated it, I made a choice.”</p><p><em>Bullshit</em>.</p><p>“Then, find a different girl. You’re Beck. Girls throw themselves at you! You probably have a ton of options,” Robbie suggests, trying to suggest a temporary fix to his friend's problems, “If Jade is so difficult then choose an easier one.”</p><p>“It’s not that simple, Rob. You know that.” The other boy runs a hand through his soft raven locks, reinstating his point, “It’s hard to give up on a girl you’ve pinned on for years. There’s just no one who can easily compare to that.”</p><p>Okay, <em>that</em> he could find himself relating to.</p><p>But <em>dammit</em>. Beck had the chance to be loved, and to have everything else he didn’t. He got the girl he loved. She loved him back. They spent years together through thick and thin. How did he even manage to complain about that?</p><p>Robbie never had that. And <em>damn</em> was he envious.</p><p>“But, we’re different. I-I never had the chance, Beck. You did. You had her. So why would you let her go?” he couldn’t help but ask.</p><p>Beck averts the topic, clearly uncomfortable. This was not how he expected to spend his Saturday evening. “I <em>really</em> don’t want to talk about this. Let’s just do something else, yeah?”</p><p>Robbie realizes that, despite being fearless, Beck Oliver was just as much a coward as everyone else was. He realizes that although his friend could possibly get any girl out there, he couldn’t even keep the one person he truly cared about. He realizes that their pride led so much to their downfall.</p><p> And from that he definitely knows.</p><p>No matter how good of an actor Beck Oliver was, Robbie could tell that he was most definitely not fine. After all, despite how perfect Beck seemed, even he had his flaws too.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>            At some point in time, during the whole three blondes fiasco,<strong><em> Robbie finally sees a glimpse of what was beyond Jade West.</em> </strong>He realized that the girl was a good friend beneath her sarcastic comments and rude comebacks. And you were damn lucky if you brought out that side of her.</p><p>She may not be anything like Tori Vega who often told you what you <em>wanted</em> to hear, but she never failed to tell you what you <em>needed</em> to hear— even if it would come across as the cold hard truth. Jade West was brutally honest, but sometimes it was just what people needed someone to be.</p><p>Robbie thinks that it was no wonder Cat Valentine had her for a best friend. Because while everyone else was afraid of upsetting the maiden, Jade always managed to protect her all the while refraining from feeding on the redhead’s naivety. Jade didn't hide what Cat needed to know— what she was supposed to know that people never even told her because they often thought that she was just another airhead.</p><p>It was also the partial reason, why he came to Jade West to give him advice on the song he wrote for Cat, instead of going to Tori, who was definitely much easier to get along with, or Andre, who was the most musically inclined in their group of friends. Jade happened to be the best option, really. She was the closest to Cat. She was talented; the girl had a gift for writing amazing songs. She easily says what she likes from what she doesn’t (having been the only one who appreciated his song about broken glass.)</p><p>Nevertheless, she was still the most terrifying human being that Robbie Shapiro had ever asked help from.</p><p>Thus, when the girl with icy blue eyes, takes the seat beside him during the premier of Beck's short film, he noticeably flinches. A part of him curses Andre and Tori who were seated behind them for not taking the seat beside him when it was still empty. After all, he knows he messed up, and Jade was definitely <em>not</em> happy.</p><p>"So, you didn't sing her that song?" were the first words she said, as they waited for the movie to be played. Robbie immediately averts his attention from his long-term crush and the redhead's new boy toy, to turn to the girl beside him.</p><p>He had been planning to serenade the redhead, and everything was all sorted out. Although, he may have forgotten to factor in how fate had always gone against him. Because Cat Valentine was clearly taken to her new boyfriend, who couldn't even appreciate how she was amazing enough to be herself and not just some blonde with blue eyes. A boy who was not him, who was lucky as cheese to even have the chance to be with her.</p><p>She was happy. And clearly, he didn't want to be the to ruin that.</p><p> </p><p>            "How could I?" Robbie defends himself from Jade's clear condescending tone, "You've seen her with him. She likes him so much she won't even say the truth"</p><p>"You mean that pre-turd with the blonde fetish? Oh yeah, <em>sure</em> she does" her voice was laced with sarcasm, as she admonishes his actions "She was just gullible enough to fall for Vega's stupid fantasy about being some blue-eyed blonde bimbo. It won't get through her thick skull unless you tell her."</p><p><em>She doesn't understand</em>, Robbie thinks to himself.</p><p>
  <em>What does she know?</em>
</p><p>Jade was always full of courage. In fact, she was the one intimidating everybody else. She was the embodiment of fear. She never let anyone bring her down. She was headstrong and nothing ever got in her way. It was the part of her he couldn't help but admire. The trait of hers, he never got to have.</p><p>"But you never know that! I've liked her for so long and she won't even listen to what I have to say. Instead, she went for that unappreciative jerk and I just—"</p><p>"<em>Look</em>." Jade cuts him off, in tone colder than he expected. "I <em>don't</em> like you. I'm honestly not even rooting for you. <em>But</em> I won't let you get away with wasting my time, after groveling for my advice on your dumb song, just because you're too much of a wuss to actually go through with it. "</p><p>"Why the fuck would you even help her put that dumb wig on?" she adds, taking a glance at her friend, who was desperate enough to keep playing as a blonde in front of her most recent boyfriend.</p><p>"I can't help it. I'm the wig master!" he argues, giving the same pathetic excuse when Tori scolded him about letting Cat continue her farce.</p><p> </p><p>            Jade doesn't look him in the eye, but her voice was stern enough to deliver the message she wanted. "Just grow a pair and just do it, because someday you're going to regret the fact you didn't take a chance"</p><p>And at this, Robbie wonders how she could even say something like that.</p><p>
  <em>Was it based on experience?</em>
  
</p><p>
  <em>Did Jade actually have regrets for being too scared to do something?</em>
</p><p>And before he even thinks his words through, he asks her, "Do you regret breaking up with Beck?"</p><p>She didn't agree, but the fact that she didn't deny it was enough to be able to tell the truth.</p><p>"Do you want to regret asking that question?", the comeback was almost immediate, he wasn't foolish enough not to take her words seriously.</p><p>"S-sorry," he stammers as he felt a chill in his spine, and he rambles to alleviate the situation, "I just— I honestly wanted you guys to work out."</p><p>"Please don't kill me" the poor boy whimpers, hoping his honesty wouldn't lead to his downfall. He eyes Jade's boots with caution, hoping she won’t whip out her hidden scissors and stab him.</p><p>Instead, he hears her say it softly, looking in front as Beck speaks in front, signaling the start of the program.</p><p>"I did too."</p><p>"Then—"</p><p>"Robbie" Jade interrupts. Her tone was absolute. "<em>Shut up</em>"</p><p>He immediately zips his mouth, knowing that she wouldn't hesitate to kill him had he continued. But somehow, learning that even Jade West had her own worries and problems she couldn't overcome, gave him a little bit of the courage he needed. He learns that even his friends had their own fears; that even Beck and Jade were too coward to fix their own shortcomings.</p><p>And from that sad truth, he finds hope in himself, because he knows he's not the only one who felt that way. A part of him even wishes that the couple would finally overcome their own fears, or whatever it was that got in the way of their relationship.</p><p>"Okay!" He tells the girl beside him, knowing she may not even hear him over the sound of the film. Still, he continues to whisper with his newfound determination, "<em>Okay</em>. I'll man up a-and just sing it when I get the chance. Because it's a waste of effort otherwise and you’re right. I-I don’t want to regret it. I’ll do it for Cat because she deserves to know that someone appreciates her for who she is."</p><p>Jade does hear it.</p><p>“Good” she says simply, and although, her attention was focused on her ex-boyfriend's project, she doesn't fail to warn the boy beside her, "But, if you do anything to make her upset, I will <em>seriously</em> hurt you."</p><p>Robbie knows she meant it, but for once he doesn't fear Jade's threat. Because if Cat Valentine gave him the chance, he swears to himself that he'll definitely treasure her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p><strong><em>            Despite always being the last one to know, ironically, Robbie Shapiro was the first one to see the signs that Beck and Jade were getting together</em></strong>. Or at least, that was what he thought, considering that Cat could never really keep a secret, Tori would have probably made a big deal out of it, and Andre would have at least drop hints here and there.</p><p>At first, he didn't really think much about it. In the first place, if it weren't for their bet with Sikowitz, in which they were to refrain from using any sort of modern technology, he probably wouldn't have noticed the signs in the first place.</p><p>For one, he caught Beck dropping Jade off at the Jet Brew cafe near school, but he figured the girl may have just needed a ride to school. Then again, he should have questioned it considering the fact that later in their bet, the boys were against the girls. And there was no way in hell that Beck and Jade would back out from a chance to go against each other.</p><p>And then there was the constant interaction. How despite the fact that they weren't verbally communicating, it was as if they could talk to each other with just their eyes. The underhanded smirks and the way they looked at each other clearly said a lot.</p><p>Then, finally, the biggest sign that made everything clear as day, was when he catches them together later that week when the bet was over. It was one of those moments when the halls were almost cleared of people, most students were probably still in class. If the teacher of his last period hadn't dismissed them early, Robbie wouldn't have even seen them together. The couple both had their free period unlike the rest of the gang, which was probably the reason why none of their friends even suspected that they were spending the time together.</p><p>It was easy to go unnoticed with the lack of people in the hallway. Hell, no one would have seen them, considering that the door of Jade's locker did a good job covering them up. Nevertheless, coming from the other side of the hall, walking towards his own locker, Robbie catches sight of them. And right when he was about to greet them, he catches Beck lean down, giving Jade a quick kiss from behind the locker door. And right then, like a deer in the headlights, Robbie stops in his tracks.</p><p> </p><p>            The last time he checked Beck and Jade were broken up.</p><p>And amidst his confusion, he manages to overhear their conversation, thankful that he hadn't been noticed, because Jade West would have likely gone through any means to silence him. So, instead of greeting them like he initially planned, Robbie hides at the nearest turn.</p><p>Their kiss was sweet and chaste in contrast to their usual heated make-out sessions that used to happen in the past. And although he would definitely be called a weirdo for noticing that small bit, Robbie couldn't help but wonder if they were back together or just mere friends with benefits, considering the history between us.</p><p>His question was easily answered, apparently.</p><p>"I thought we're taking things slow?" Jade was the first one to pull away, looking up at her ex-boyfriend as if to remind him that they weren't supposed to be seen together. At least not while they were up at each other's faces.</p><p>"Sorry, babe. Force of habit" Beck says, as if it came upon him naturally— as if they hadn't spent months apart and being together had always been so natural. Then again, they were always all over each other when they were still dating.</p><p>"If anyone finds out, I swear I'll stab you with my bluntest pair of scissors," Her threat causes him to distance himself away from her, far enough for anyone not to assume they're back together.</p><p>"I got you coffee" Beck holds the cup in front of her, as if it were a peace offering.</p><p>"Bribery won't always save your ass, Oliver," she doesn't fail to get to the point, "What do you want?"</p><p>"Can't a guy just get his girlfriend some coffee?"</p><p>"Last time, I checked I'm not your girlfriend."</p><p>"<em>Yet</em>" he smiles slyly, though she doesn't deny it.</p><p>Instead, she replies with an eyeroll. "So, what's up?"</p><p>"You coming over tonight?"</p><p>"No. I have to go to this thing with Cat and Vega"</p><p>"Do they suspect anything?" the boys asks.</p><p>"'Course not." Jade returns the question, "Do the guys know?"</p><p>"No." Beck assures her, "We're still working things out, and you know what happens when other people get involved in our relationship"</p><p>"Yeah. But you're not exactly convincing when you pull stunts like making out in the hallway" the girl quirks an eyebrow, and Beck raises his hands as if he were surrendering.</p><p>With that, Robbie decides to keep their secret safe, not only because he was afraid of the consequences, but also because he honestly wishes that they manage to work things out. He knows it's only a matter of time before they do.</p><p>And eventually, they do.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>Robbie was well aware that Beck and Jade were a good couple, at least that's what he had long believed in.</em></strong> But apart from that, even when they didn't come as package, individually they were amazing in their own way. In fact, he'd like to believe that they were stronger than ever, now that they were back together. After all, the old Jade West would have gone batshit crazy just from hearing that Beck was coming to watch Tori's show with Andre instead of spending time with her. Surprisingly, she didn't make a big deal out of it.</p><p>In fact, she was the one who suggested that they go ahead and support Tori's redo, while she and Robbie take care of their little issue with a certain redhead. Because hearing about the Cat's living circumstances in the school's attic was not something they were exactly fond of knowing. After all, if there was something that Robbie and Jade had in common, it would definitely be the fact that they cared a great deal for Cat Valentine.</p><p>Robbie realizes how the couple matured in the span of months they spent away from each other when Beck calls Jade during their drive on the way to Cat's grandmother's place.</p><p> </p><p>            "Hey, babe. Tori's performance just ended, you won't believe what just happened" Beck greets, as soon as Cat holds the phone up for the girl.</p><p>"Yeah. Tell me about it later. I'm driving," she replies rather limitedly, concentrating on the road.</p><p>"Oh. What happened? Are you still up for dinner?"</p><p>"Can't," the girl answers, surprisingly calm despite how they had to cancel their date, "We worked things out with Cat. I'm picking up her things up to help her move to her grandma's house."</p><p>"It's just you girls?" the boy asks, as if he was doubting their ability to finish a move in mere hours.</p><p>"Yeah," Jade answers, "And Robbie, but I doubt you could count him"</p><p>"What's that supposed to mean?" Robbie buts into their conversation, in the same offended manner Cat usually reacted in.</p><p>"Andre and I can help with the heavy lifting" Beck disregards Robbie's remark, offering to help them out "Oh, Tori says she'll come with too since she's carpooling with us."</p><p>"<em>Ugh</em>. Bring dinner instead of Vega."</p><p>Beck chuckles but nonetheless agrees, "She's still coming but what do you want to eat?"</p><p>"Cat?" Jade turns to the girl in the passenger seat momentarily.</p><p>The redhead brightens up, "Cupcakes!"</p><p>"That can't be counted as a meal."</p><p>"But—" Cat pouts, ready to whine before she was cut off.</p><p>"Get us some sushi from Nozu" Jade answers anyway, as if she was a mother forbiding her child from snacks that would potentially ruin one's apetite.</p><p>It was Robbie's turn to complain, "Aw, Again?"</p><p>"Shut up," Jade snaps, glaring from the mirror, before averting her attention to her boyfriend, "And buy me coffee."</p><p>Cat continues to pout as she plays with the ends of her artificial red hair. And with one look at her, Jade rolls her eyes and gives in, "And a box of red velvet cupcakes from the bakery across Jet Brew."</p><p>"Yay!" Cat squeals finally satisfied.</p><p>"Will do" Beck answers from the other line, "Love you."</p><p>"Love you too" Jade answers in less than a second, before the call ends.</p><p>And just from their last exchange of words, unbeknownst to the couple, everyone's eyes widen. Robbie and Cat from Jade's car and Andre and Tori from the other. It was the first time they ever heard Jade say it herself and the first time they heard Beck say it without his girlfriend's prompting. Because although she showed it and implied it, Jade West was never really the type to say it out loud, and from what they all remembered, she wasn't exactly the type to say it so often either.</p><p>That's why, it was at that moment that everyone else knew, or at least they finally had concrete proof. This was different from the other aftermaths of their breakups. They changed. It actually seemed like their relationship was stronger than ever, and this time their friends could definitely tell, they were in it for the long run.</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>            <strong><em>Robbie Shapiro had already predicted that they would have a happy ending</em></strong>, ever since they were just aspiring kids in high school, nearly more than a decade ago. Although he had his doubts, he still stood by his belief that Beck and Jade was one of the best couples he knew and that they were the type to last. The type to prove that those sappy chick-flicks and romcoms actually existed beyond the camera.</p><p>He could tell from the way Beck's eyes turn glassy as he watches the love of his life and his soon-to-be-bride, walk down the aisle towards him.</p><p>Jade was dressed in a tricolored gown, the first few layers were a shade of black, fading to a blue that complimented her eyes and white beneath the thin layers of color. It was just like her, from the headdress that pinned her raven locks into a half updo, made up of crafted metal butterflies, and from the fact that she would never settle for a basic white wedding gown (because she wouldn't settle for boring and conventional).</p><p>She looked ethereal, and both Robbie and Andre who were Beck's groomsmen could tell that their friend was pushing everything he had in him not to cry at the sight of the girl.</p><p>And when Jade's blue orbs meet Beck's chocolate brown eyes, Robbie catches sight of her smile. The smile of the girl who he saw in his friend's candid photographs all those years back.</p><p>The smile of Jade West reserved for Beck Oliver.</p><p>And it was one of those other moments when Robbie Shapiro finds himself, having another realization. He remembers how his young self used to think that Beck suited Jade for because he balanced her out. Because he held her back as if she were an embodiment of evil set out to make people's lives miserable. As if he was nothing but her keeper.</p><p>But now, he thinks that Beck does suit Jade, though evidently for more than one reason. </p><p>She deserved someone who could give her the same strength she gave to others. She deserved a guy who was a good as he was, who could handle her, who knew what she needed, who understood her. She deserved a guy who thought of her like she was his whole world. She deserved a guy who loved her.</p><p>Because even if he wasn't always part of the picture, Robbie Shapiro had known them long enough to tell that Jade West deserved a guy who could make her smile the way Beck Oliver did.</p>
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